If you get a bill from a previous provider

Contact the company if they’ve billed you for a period after you cancelled or switched. Ask them for a full refund and to stop taking payments.

You can cancel any direct debits through your bank - this will stop the company from taking any more money from you. You’ll still need to contact the company for any refund you’re owed.

Contact your bank if the provider refuses to refund you or continues to take payments - they’ll investigate and might be able to get your money back.

Make a formal complaint through the company’s complaints procedure if they keep charging you.

If your name’s not on the bill

If you’re the only person named on the bill, the service provider can chase you for the full amount regardless of who else used the service (eg other people you live with).

You can’t get your service provider to chase someone who’s not named on the bill - you’ll have to get the money from them yourself.

If you’ve signed a joint contract with someone else, you’re both responsible for paying the bill, regardless of who’s used the service.

Write to your service provider if your name is not on the bill and you’re being chased. Tell them that you’re not a named account holder and you’re not legally responsible for the bill.

If your phone was lost or stolen

If someone else runs up a big bill on your mobile you’ll usually have to pay for the cost of the calls up until when you reported the phone missing. Read more about what to do if your phone is lost or stolen.